Re: [Harp-L] RE Little Walter's harmony/Let's all talk Little Walter!

["Rick Dempster" <rick.dempster@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Richard;
           How can the major third be the eleventh, Richard. That's the fourth, surely?
RD

>>> Richard Hammersley <rhhammersley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 01/07/09 11:11 PM >>>
It is a bit over-rigid to believe that not flattening the 'blue' notes  
breaks any rules of the blues. Many players mess about with  
flattening/ not flattening, or slide or gliss from one to the other.  
For instance opening the "Country Blues Songbook" (transcriptions by  
Stephan Grossman, Steve Calt and Hal Grossman) at random. Bukka White  
in 'My Mother Died' apparently sings the 7th note sharp, natural and  
flat in a single triplet. It is much more common to use the flattened  
note and natural note at different places in the melody, or as  
variations from verse to verse.

Some of the charm of the blues is lost by over rigid adherence to the  
"blues scale". It is also worth remembering that the "natural third"  
is also the more harmonically complex 11th and Bop and post-bop Jazz  
permits this as harmonically advanced alternative to the more familiar  
flattened 7th and 9th... which is where my understanding kind of  
peters out.

Richard

On 1 Jul 2009, at 02:08, Nicholas Lovett wrote:

>
> Thanks,
>
> The insights were really helpful... the best piece of advice is how  
> Little Walter leaves the three hole natural instead of flatting it,  
> breaking some rules.  This creates the "frothy effect" heard on many  
> of his records.  Like in "Rocker" he uses the three blow instead of  
> the two, then the three draw to set up his swing like riff.  I think  
> he also uses the three draw because it gives the riff a lighter  
> tone.  After the three natural he does a little slide often to the  
> four draw?  Is this correct?  Let's all pro it up an get together to  
> talk some Little Walter, instead of Custom Harps and Jason Ricci! 
> (Nothing wrong with either of these btw)
>
>
>
>
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Richard Hammersley
Grantshouse, Scottish Borders
http://www.last.fm/music/Richard+Hammersley
http://www.myspace.com/rhammersley
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